Cardboard postcard of Oxford University compliments of the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co.; front: chromolithograph of High Street, Oxford, England during the 1800's; writing in both French and English; back: left side has postage-size picture of Lydia Pinkham with description of what she sells (Fren…

Cardboard postcard of Oxford University compliments of the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co.; front: chromolithograph of High Street, Oxford, England during the 1800's; writing in both French and English; back: left side has postage-size picture of Lydia Pinkham with description of what she sells (French and English), a space for a stamp, correspondence and address; card is unused.

Number Of Parts

1

Provenance

Purchased by Dr. M. Chiong for his patent medicine collection, before July 15, 1995.

Front: left top corner severe bend (cardboard broken at the back); right top corner, larger, but less severe bend; light ink spots and dirt and age discolouration; back: dirty and agediscoloured; "Ada" written in pencil and assorted light marks

Pinkham Co. consigned its records to accessible archives, unlike other such companies (after its demise); trademark face and "Yours for Health" Archives given to Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, at Radcliffe College; vegetable compound first marketed in 1875, challenging "heroic" medicine (bleeding, etc.) with botanical blends; contained true and false unicorn root, pleurisy root, life-root, black cohosh, fenugreek seed and 19% alcohol; probably came from one of the major botanical therapy digests ("American Dispensatory" by John King).

The Panic of 1873 ruined her husband, who had never been secure, so at age 56 she went into business; appealed a great deal to women, and they used this (she and her sons); Lydia was born in 1819 and died in 1883, but for 20 years after, women were still receiving answers to their letters, signed by Lydia (uncovered by a photographer who showed her tombstone in "Ladies' Home Journal" in 1904; song ("American Health Quackery", p. 62); she was a folk heroine; advertising power of children so great, Lydia's granddaughters began appearing.

Over the years, every ingredient changed ... except the alcohol; after many public attacks on the alcohol content they changed the composition and never regained its popularity (in 1904 had 20.6% alcohol); sold because of boldly feminist approach; claims varied - increased fertility ("A baby in every bottle") - relief from cramps and PMS - ; all sorts of "family" advice given; "Write to Mrs. Pinkham" - actually the widow of Lydia Pinkham's son (not quite false, just misleading); still around in 1957; mid-1920's, 15% alcohol; 1938 contained gentian, black cohosh, true and false unicorn, life-root, pleurisy root, dendelion, chamomile, a little vitamin B1, and 15% alcohol; in 1957, also contained licorice, Jamaica Dogwood and only 13.5% alcohol (pills had Jamaica Dogwood, pleurisy rot, licorice and iron); had 3 sons, named Dan, Will and Charles,and a daughter named Aroline, who married William H. Gove.

Husband Isaac died in 1889; by 1881 grossing $30,000 /

month; Pinkham's "Guide for Women" a great success; initially four pages, by 1901 ran to 62 pages in five languages; compound sold in many foreign countries by the 1900's; "There was a bad moment in China when it was discovered that only married women were buying the compound. Investigation showed that the trouble lay in the Chinese name for Vegetable Compound which had been most ineptly translated as 'Smooth Sea's Pregnancy Womb Birth - Giving Magical 100 Per Cent Effective Water'." (Holbrook).

Family-run until 1968 when sold to a pharmaceutical firm; 1972 operations moved to Puerto Rico; 1980's still being made; Lydia was very independent woman who definitely supported the women's liberation movement, although it was not labeled as such back then; often printers only had Lydia Pinkham's likeness, and so when Queen Victoria died, it was actually Lydia's picture they used, as they did when several famous women died.

Used paper postcard of the Leland Stanford Jr. University from the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co.; front: chromolithograph of the university grounds; back: green one cent Canadian stamp and handwritten message in brown ink, from a girl to her brother.

Used paper postcard of the Leland Stanford Jr. University from the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co.; front: chromolithograph of the university grounds; back: green one cent Canadian stamp and handwritten message in brown ink, from a girl to her brother.

Number Of Parts

1

Provenance

Purchased by Dr. Chiong for his patent medicine collection, before July 15, 1995.

postcard

A colour postcard showing four buildings at Queen's University, looking north east from the bottom of University Avenue.; mailed to Mr. Karl Rice of Adams, N.Y. with a one cent Canada postage stamp of King Edward; postmarked from Kingston, Ont.

A colour postcard showing four buildings at Queen's University, looking north east from the bottom of University Avenue.; mailed to Mr. Karl Rice of Adams, N.Y. with a one cent Canada postage stamp of King Edward; postmarked from Kingston, Ont.

Number Of Parts

1

Provenance

The postcard is addressed to Mr Karl Rice of Adams, NY; donor was a postcard collector and not related to addressee.

(a) Art print on heavy paper showing a black-and-white sketch of the left corner and front view of Grant Hall at Queen's University; drawn by artist Trudy Doyle; (b) wood and glass frame, with the wood painted white with gold trim at the inner edges; there is a wire attached to the back of the fram…

Advertising card; long rectangular card featuring a picture of the Queen's men's rugby team, seated with their coaches in front of a building; record (wins) for the season, year, and name of their sponsor, Lockett's, printed beneath them in black ink; back blank.

Advertising card; long rectangular card featuring a picture of the Queen's men's rugby team, seated with their coaches in front of a building; record (wins) for the season, year, and name of their sponsor, Lockett's, printed beneath them in black ink; back blank.

Advertising card; long rectangular card featuring picture of the Queen's men's rugby team standing in a row on the field with a crowd of people on stands in background; the men's names are written beneath them on the photograph; season's record (wins), year and name of sponsor, Lockett's, printed i…

Advertising card; long rectangular card featuring picture of the Queen's men's rugby team standing in a row on the field with a crowd of people on stands in background; the men's names are written beneath them on the photograph; season's record (wins), year and name of sponsor, Lockett's, printed in black ink underneath; back blank